Communication devices and methods with beamforming training

Abstract

A communication device (1) for RF-based communication with another communication device (2) comprises an antenna circuitry (10) configured to transmit and receive RF signals and beamforming circuitry (11) configured to perform beamforming and to control the antenna circuitry in a beamforming training phase to transmit and/or receive RF signals using one or more selected directive beams. The beamforming circuitry (11) is configured to perform beamforming training by controlling the antenna circuitryi) to transmit data using at least one first directive transmit beam, wherein the other communication device (2) is configured to listen using a first directive receive beam, said data including a second transmit beam information, andii) to subsequently listen using a predetermined second directive receive beam for a response from the other communication device (2), which is configured to transmit, if the data transmitted in step i) have been received, a response using a second directive transmit beam indicated by the second transmit beam information.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication device for radio frequency (RF)-based communication with another communication device, the communication device comprising:
 antenna circuitry configured to transmit and receive RF signals; and 
 beamforming circuitry configured to perform a beam transmission phase by controlling the antenna circuitry to:
 listen using a third receive beam while the another communication device transmits a first identifier of the another communication device subsequently using different first directive transmit beams; and 
 set, once the first identifier has been received, a first directive transmit beam used for transmitting the first identifier as a second directive transmit beam indicated by first transmit beam information. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to perform a beamforming training phase after the beam transmission phase by controlling the antenna circuitry to:
 transmit data using at least one third directive transmit beam, wherein the another communication device is configured to listen using a first directive receive beam, the data including the first transmit beam information, and 
 subsequently listen using a predetermined second directive receive beam for a response from the another communication device, which is configured to transmit, in a case that the data is received by the another communication device, a response using a second directive transmit beam indicated by the third transmit beam information. 
 
     
     
       3. The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the beamforming circuitry controls the antenna circuitry in the beamforming training phase to transmit and/or receive RF signals using one or more selected directive beams. 
     
     
       4. The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to control the antenna circuitry to successively transmit the data with a number of different third directive transmit beams. 
     
     
       5. The communication device of  claim 4 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to control the antenna circuitry to transmit a predefined number of first directive beams as signaled by the another communication device in a previous training phase or in a beacon transmission phase. 
     
     
       6. The communication device of  claim 4 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is configured to obtain, from the response sent by the another communication device, second transmit beam information indicating at least one of the third directive transmit beams by which the data, which has been received by the another communication device, has been transmitted by the communication device. 
     
     
       7. The communication device of  claim 2 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to control the antenna circuitry to transmit the data with a single third directive transmit beam. 
     
     
       8. The communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to control the antenna circuitry to transmit the data with different single third directive transmit beams in subsequent iterations. 
     
     
       9. The communication device of  claim 7 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to control the antenna circuitry to use one of a third directive transmit beam and a second directive receive beam. 
     
     
       10. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to determine whether a response, received by the antenna circuitry, is from the another communications device in a case that the response includes a second identifier of the communication device. 
     
     
       11. The communications device of  claim 2 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to
 determine whether a response, received by the communications device, is from the another communications device in a case that the response includes a second identifier of the communication device, and 
 in a case that the beamforming circuitry determines that the response does not include the second identifier, control the antenna circuitry to retransmit the data using the at least one first directive beam. 
 
     
     
       12. The communication device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the beamforming circuitry is further configured to control the antenna circuitry to:
 listen by successively using different third directive receive beams, while in each succession the another communication device subsequently uses different first directive transmit beams; and 
 set the first directive receive beam with which the first identifier has been received, as the second directive receive beam. 
 
     
     
       13. A communication method for radio frequency (RF)-based communication by a communication device with another communication device, the communication method comprising:
 controlling, by beamforming circuitry of the communication device, antenna circuitry of the communication device to transmit and receive RF signals; and 
 performing, by the beamforming circuitry, a beam transmission phase by controlling the antenna circuitry to:
 listen using a third receive beam while the another communication device transmits a first identifier of the another communication device subsequently using different first directive transmit beams; and 
 set, once the first identifier has been received, a first directive transmit beam used for transmitting the first identifier as a second directive transmit beam indicated by first transmit beam information. 
 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program product, which, when executed by a processor, causes the method according to  claim 13  to be performed. 
     
     
       15. A communication device for radio frequency (RF)-based communication with another communication device, the communication device comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to:
 listen using a third receive beam while the another communication device transmits a first identifier of the another communication device subsequently using different first directive transmit beams; and 
 set, once the first identifier has been received, a first directive transmit beam used for transmitting the first identifier as a second directive transmit beam indicated by first transmit beam information. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The communication device of  claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, after the processing circuitry sets the first directive transmit beam:
 transmit data using at least one third directive transmit beam, wherein the another communication device is configured to listen using a first directive receive beam, the data including the first transmit beam information, and 
 subsequently listen using a predetermined second directive receive beam for a response from the another communication device, which is configured to transmit, in a case that the data is received by the another communication device, a response using a second directive transmit beam indicated by the third transmit beam information. 
 
     
     
       17. The communication device of  claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit and/or receive RF signals using one or more selected directive beams. 
     
     
       18. The communication device of  claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to successively transmit the data with a number of different third directive transmit beams. 
     
     
       19. The communication device of  claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit a predefined number of first directive beams as signaled by the another communication device in a previous training phase or in a beacon transmission phase. 
     
     
       20. The communication device of  claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain, from the response sent by the another communication device, second transmit beam information indicating at least one of the third directive transmit beams by which the data, which has been received by the another communication device, has been transmitted by the communication device.